As a professional web developer, you have many options for working at large companies, small companies, freelance work, and more. But how can you decide where to focus your efforts? As someone who has been in this position many times before, I’m giving you a step-by-step guide on how to make money as a web developer.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| Web development can be a lucrative career choice. |
| There are many ways to make money as a web developer, including freelancing and creating your own products. |
| A strong portfolio and networking can help you land more opportunities. |
| Keeping up with new technologies and trends is important for success in the field. |
| It’s possible to earn passive income as a web developer through sources such as online courses and affiliate marketing. |
1. Have A Passion
It’s important that you are passionate about the type of work that you do. This is your career and it will eat up a large portion of your life if you let it. If your passion is not behind what you’re doing each day, then the journey will be long and difficult.
You don’t necessarily need a passion, but if you’re not passionate about something, chances are you won’t find much success in it. When you love what you do, you’ll have the drive to work harder, push yourself farther, and learn all there is to know about it all of which will help you make more money.
As a freelance web designer, it’s important to continuously improve your skills and knowledge. Our guide on 22 expert tips to improve your web design freelancing career provides valuable insights and advice from seasoned professionals in the industry.
2. Gain Skills
You need to know what skill sets you to have as well as understand which ones will lead you down the path toward success. We’ll cover some important skills for web developers below. You also need to know what values are important to you because some fields might not align with those values and that’s okay–you should just know where there may be a potential conflict.
Some people value creativity while others value organization; we’re all different in these areas but they still matter when building our careers. For example, if we were both applying for a job as an art director at an online magazine, I would apply with my creativity because that’s something I am known for whereas maybe another candidate would apply with the organization since she was class president during high school or something like that. That isn’t always the case but it’s good to be aware nonetheless!
3. Get Clear On Your Mission
When putting together your mission statement: make sure your mission statement is clear and concise–while also keeping things realistic! Sometimes we get so stuck on wanting this perfect thing from life (a career we love!) that we end up missing out on opportunities along the way because they don’t seem like “the one” yet (they aren’t!).
Many people start out as web developers because they want to help others, while others are just looking for a way to make money. But most people don’t have a clear idea of what they want to do, or why they’re doing it.
Without your purpose in mind and an understanding of how you can consistently make money doing it, you’ll likely get frustrated, lose interest, and stop working hard; that’s why it’s so important to figure this stuff out early on.
We’ve talked about your mission before (What do you want from life? What is your purpose?), but what about your passion?
It’s easy for us as web developers to become so caught up in the day-to-day tasks that we forget the enjoyment we get from designing a website. As Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” If you’re passionate about web development and enjoy creating websites for other people and if code is your true passion it’s still possible to find ways to make money from this work.
Starting a web design freelance business can be daunting, but with the right mindset and preparation, you can succeed. Our article on the top 17 things to consider when starting a web design freelance business covers important aspects such as branding, pricing, and marketing to help you get started.
4. Create A Niche
As a web developer, you can make money in many different ways. Also, there’s no one right answer for what your niche is that’s why this step is so important to personalize your work as a developer. There are some popular niches like real estate websites, dating websites, and WordPress sites that require an almost identical process for each project.
Other areas like app development or frontend development will require more research and understanding of what the client wants than it does actual programming ability. Many developers I’ve met like this part of the work because it opens up their opportunities each new request is essentially a new problem to solve that requires consulting and planning before any writing of code takes place.
5. Build Your Portfolio
As a developer, it’s virtually impossible to get a well-paying job without a portfolio. Whether you’re looking for an entry-level position or something more senior, employers don’t want to hire anyone without at least some work to show for yourself.
What Does A Good Developer Portfolio Look Like?
Let’s break it down into three components:
Showcase your best work. This is what most people think of when they think of portfolios. You need some projects that really demonstrate your skills as a developer. Just slapping up a few hastily thrown together things isn’t enough, though this part of the portfolio needs to be the best representation of your abilities possible. If you have low-quality or outdated code on your site, employers aren’t going to take you seriously and will likely assume you won’t be able to write quality code in their environment.
Also, make sure all the projects on your site are yours don’t post someone else’s code with just some small changes made here and there (unless they’re giving you explicit permission). In general, try not to copy other people’s code from the internet if an employer looks at one example from you and it looks very similar to something they find online elsewhere (like copied straight from Stack Overflow), that may be enough for them not to hire you; if your work is so heavily influenced by others’ work that it seems like yours would be too, then chances are it’s not good enough right now.
Finally, make sure all of your code examples can run properly! It may seem silly but having dead links on your portfolio really hurts its credibility (and no one wants a buggy piece of software they might use!) So make sure every link works before adding any project if there are dependencies required for one of these projects that require extra tools/software/etc., link those as well! Bonus points for this part: add documentation about how each project works! A lot of developers forget about it.
Feeling uninspired? Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to ignite your creativity. Check out our list of top 20 web design ideas that will inspire you for new and innovative design concepts.
6. Diversify Your Income
As a web developer, you want to be able to generate as many streams of income as possible. Just like a small business owner, it’s important that you do some sort of market research, decide what you want to do and the best way to do it, and then execute on your plan.
If you’re just getting started with web development or have been doing it for a while but are still looking for ways to diversify your income, this article is here to help.
7. Get Recurring Income (Revenue) For Your Life
Making your living as a web developer can be a great starter career, but it’s important to consider what avenues you can take to get recurring income. As you become better at programming and building websites, your clients will want to continue doing business with you in the future.
They might not pay up-front every time (you’ll need good negotiation skills for that), but they’ll most likely hand over a nice sum of money if they know they’ll be getting ongoing work from your team.
For example, let’s say a local business wants to build an online store selling products. You could do all the coding work upfront, then receive the full amount of payment upon completion. But instead of going that route, it might be more beneficial for both parties involved if you just gave them a membership site.
This would allow them to add new products on their own whenever they want, and since you already built the website once, there won’t be any extra costs on your end for changes or updates just for maintenance, which is something clients must pay for anyway.
If this seems like something you’re interested in pursuing, I’d recommend reading the book How To Make Money As A Web Developer. He goes into detail about how he built his company into one of the most successful membership sites around while still being able to spend plenty of time with his family – even during Christmas break!
Finding work as a freelance programmer can be challenging, but there are many resources available to help you. Our article on the 15 best freelance websites for programmers provides a comprehensive list of websites where you can find freelance programming work.
8. Become An Affiliate
If you’re keen to make money by working online, there are lots of great ways to do it. You can get paid to take surveys, test products, and even watch videos but this list doesn’t include any of those things. Instead, the jobs on this list are generally easier to start and don’t require that you know anything about a topic. This includes jobs like graphic design, writing, and editing, Web development (like front-end or back-end), social media management…the list goes on!
You can make money in many different ways as a Web developer; however, they all center around one thing: building a reputation. Just think of becoming an affiliate marketer who gets paid every time she sells someone something. Whether or not she’s a Web developer herself is irrelevant; she’s making money off of her ability to sell things. That’s what we’re going for here: selling people things, whether it’s their product or ours (and we hope it’ll be ours).
9. Build Products And Services That You Can Sell Over And Over Again
We’ve all had the nightmares of having to ship a product from one part of the world to another, only to have it broken in transit. That’s why building and selling digital products is so appealing. With no inventory costs and no shipping costs, it’s easy to get your product in the hands of customers anywhere in the world even if that customer is on an airplane.
It’s also easy for a business to update its digital products: If you want to make changes or fix bugs, you just push out a new update! You don’t have to delay production or lose money by waiting weeks while your supplier ships your goods.
Not only are digital products easier to deliver than physical goods, they are also much more affordable: It takes thousands of trees just for them (in some cases millions) just for their paper and packages!
Web development is a very lucrative business. It is one of the best ways to make money online with little startup cost. Web development is one of the best ways to make money online. It’s a great career with plenty of flexibility for your schedule. The only downside? You need to be able to work independently. There are no set hours or deadlines, so you will have to push yourself hard to stay motivated!
Step 1: Think about what kind of developer you want to be
Step 2: Get some fundamental skills and start building a portfolio
Step 3: Learn how freelancing works and get your first job
There are so many ways to make money with web development, and you don’t need to be a computer science wizard to get started. If you have the skills, there’s almost certainly a way that you can turn your passion into an income stream. Yes, even if it’s just $10 per month.
First, let’s look at some of the ways that you can start making money right away:
Create a website – Creating a website is simple these days with site generators like Squarespace or Wix, but if that’s not your thing, it’s also fairly easy to set up WordPress (which is what we use). Your site doesn’t need much more than some content and an email list in order to bring in some cash through affiliate marketing or ads from Google Adsense.
What are affiliate marketing and ads from Google Adsense? Affiliate marketing means that if someone clicks on an ad on your site and then buys something on Amazon for example, then the company that owns the product will give you a commission for sending them business.
This does take time (and traffic) before it generates any income though. Ads from Google Adsense can help generate income faster because once they’re set up they’ll display targeted advertisements based on what kind of content your blog has at the moment—but this too takes traffic before they’ll start generating any real cash.”
Determining your rates as a freelance web designer can be tricky, but it’s an important aspect of running a successful business. Our ultimate guide to freelance web designer salaries and FAQs provides valuable information on how to set your rates, negotiate with clients, and handle difficult situations.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, we’ve given you a good understanding of what’s involved in becoming a web developer and the different types of work you could find when you get there. The skills you’ll need to get ahead are constantly changing, which is why it’s so important to keep those skills sharp. So if you’re ready to become a web developer, or want to make the best of your current position, we wish you the best of luck on your journey.
Further Reading
How to Make Money Online as a Web Developer: This article provides tips and strategies for making money as a web developer, including freelancing, creating and selling digital products, and building and monetizing your own websites.
The Ultimate Guide to Freelance Web Development: This guide covers everything you need to know about freelancing as a web developer, from finding clients and setting your rates to managing projects and building a successful business.
3 Simple Ways to Earn Money as a Web Developer: This article offers practical tips for earning money as a web developer, including creating and selling your own digital products, participating in bug bounty programs, and providing consulting services.
FAQs
How much can I earn as a freelance web developer?
The amount you can earn as a freelance web developer depends on a variety of factors, including your skill level, experience, location, and the type of projects you take on. However, according to the 2021 Freelance Income Report by Upwork, the average hourly rate for web developers in the United States is $75 per hour.
How can I find clients as a freelance web developer?
There are many ways to find clients as a freelance web developer, including networking, building a strong online presence, using freelance job boards, and leveraging social media platforms. It’s also important to have a clear and professional website showcasing your skills and portfolio.
How can I set my rates as a freelance web developer?
Setting your rates as a freelance web developer can be challenging, but it’s important to ensure that you’re being fairly compensated for your skills and experience. Factors to consider include your location, skill level, project requirements, and competition. Researching industry standards and comparing rates with other freelancers can also be helpful.
What skills do I need to be a successful freelance web developer?
To be a successful freelance web developer, it’s important to have strong technical skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other relevant programming languages. Additionally, good communication skills, project management skills, and the ability to work independently are important for managing client relationships and delivering high-quality work.
How can I stay motivated as a freelance web developer?
Staying motivated as a freelance web developer can be challenging, especially when you’re working on long-term projects or experiencing a slow period. Some strategies for staying motivated include setting clear goals, taking breaks when needed, networking with other freelancers, and working on projects that align with your interests and passions.
How Do I Get Started As A Web Developer?
It’s easy! Once you’ve decided to become a web developer, all you need is an internet connection and a device that can connect to the internet. From there, you can find the tools, the knowledge, and the support you need to make your dream of becoming a web developer come true. To start growing your skills, check out our free short courses on HTML and CSS. You can also read our blog for more information on learning how to code.
Why Do I Need Certification?
Certification is important because it demonstrates that you have mastered the skills necessary to be a successful web developer. It allows you to market yourself and your skills to potential employers or clients who need someone with your skillset.
What Is The Single Best Way To Earn Money As A Web Developer?
Freelancing; Freelancing is by far the most accessible and reliable way to make money as a web developer. That’s because freelancing takes advantage of your most valuable asset: your time. You can set a rate for your time, and then use that rate to calculate how much you want to make and how many hours you need to work in order to hit that number.
If you’re having trouble finding freelance clients, look no further than Upwork. They’ll connect you with freelance opportunities that match your skills and experience.
Is There Another Good Way To Make Money As A Web Developer?
Consulting; Many people are intimidated by consulting, but it shouldn’t be—it’s just another form of freelancing. When you’re consulting, instead of selling time (like you do when freelancing) you sell expertise.
Like freelancing, consulting is beneficial because it lets you take advantage of all the hard work you’ve put into learning how to code and understanding what makes great software tick. To break into consulting, start looking for opportunities with [company name]. This company has helped thousands of developers get their foot in the door.
So Why Should I Want To Be A Web Developer?
It will definitely help your career! If you’re looking for a job, the skills that you learn in this course can help you stand out from the crowd. You’ll also get an introduction to coding and will be able to show that you know how to code. And if you want to get into programming, learning how to code can help you do that.
Should I Build A Personal Website?
Absolutely! This is your portfolio, and it’s your chance to show it off to potential employers. You can also put your contact information here, and make it easy for people to reach out on their own, so you’re more likely to get the job you want.
How Do I Know What My Web Developer Skills Are Worth?
Because web development is such a new and emerging field, it’s difficult to get a good idea of how much money you can expect to make.
However, there are some great tools out there like Payscale that can help you get an idea of how much different kinds of web developers are making based on different factors. Also, consider talking with other web developers who have been in the industry longer than you have they may be able to give you the best answers about what your skills are worth.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.